August's Pictures

After visiting a few parks in Manchester (Philips Park is another) it appears there are many apparently either unclaimed or unwanted buildings within parks that look like they have once been lived in. This is just one in Alexandra Park. I'm not sure the picture does it justice but it looks quite a nice little (or perhaps not so little) building, however I'm not sure how safe the place would feel after dark with a few kid hanging around with a taste for strong cider in their mouths.

Not really so much information on this other than it's where a Fenian Ambush took place. Just near where the old(er) Manchester City ground used to be. Nearly under the railway bridge this plaque stands to mark the event. It's in a strange place, but then again over 100 years ago there probably wasn't a train line.

More of Piccadillyís fountains. Not a bad shot, my other picture of them was better, in fact I had a better shot lined up that I never took. On a grim Saturday they do still look quite good and the smell of the food being cooked was very tempting, however we had China Town to get to for better fare.

Here's a picture of a building in China Town, I think it's on York Street but I don't know, my knowledge of road names around there is woeful as is my memory of where it was because the parallel roads do tend to get me a little lost, well I am getting old, I'd had a few ciders and a slap up meal (as the Dandy comic would have said). If it's not on York Street the Charlotte Street will be the one. I liked the geometric pattern so took it. Job done.

Not knowing a great deal about some places in Manchester is a little problem I have. This doesn't help the photoblog at all, in fact it hinders it somewhat especially when the photoblog is about Manchester. I'm sure the few who "tune in" have a titter now and then when I say something thinking "didn't he even know that!". So time to start tittering.

This is a picture of the side of Church Street Car Park. It's a strange place for this plaque to hang in that it's an NCP concrete monstrosity that we can't do without that was probably built in the 60's or possibly more likely the 70's and yet on the side we have this.

Now my assumption is that this plaque was initially installed in a church and that church used to be on Church Street because I don't see a church now, unless I have missed it which may cause some tittering, it's probably behind me at the time the picture was taken. People wondering why a Mancunian didnít know anything of the famous church on Church Street will cause more tittering.

Update: Looks like it's not just Manchester history that lets me down it's my reading. I finally read the plaque which I hadn't fully the first time and it refers to a place called J&N Philips which stood where the car park now stands, for more info Click Here.

Just a quick montage of pictures from a video I took, hence the resolution is a little poor. It's the DV 5 again if you hadn't guessed; I took the Rollei but never used it.

The middle two are when the Irish (I'm assuming he is Irish. I know nothing about A1 GP) guy stopped right in front of us and lit up the tyres, it's strange and it probably sounds sad but that got us all giggling like school girls, it was pretty impressive.

The last one is the last lap. Whilst there was no racing, it was a pretty good show, and if it happens again, you can be sure I shall be there.

Just after the A1 GP boys finished their tour of Manchester's city centre a plume of smoke rose above Manchester from Salford from Seaford Road where an industrial unit exploded. Whilst people looked I could help thinking (before the A1 GP and whilst the smoke billowed) about the Manchester Bomb. Part of this concern of course was because this is the 10th anniversary of the Manchester bomb and my Wife came back last week with book about it.

I never knew that 1996 was the year of the Pier but now I do. I don't think I have ever noticed this before, but then again I probably have. I have walked past it and probably trodden on it enough times, so this time I took a picture to prove that I know. However, despite pointing my picture down at the ground, some people didn't think to avoid the shot so I had to wait. This was a bit like when I was taking a time exposure of York Cathedralís ceiling (I think) and because someone didn't see the camera I nearly got a shot of the inside of someone's dress to much amazement of some French tourists.

A picture of Llandudno Pier last weekend. The sun was out the arcade was full of... OK games and the promanade was good. After a relaxing day there was nothing better than watching my brother and his wife trying to fold a popup tend back into the bag.